The computer hardware market in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) showed its first yearly decline since 2001, in line with global forecasts.

Recorded sales showed only ten percent year-on-year growth in the first quarter of 2009, according to preliminary data released by the Interactive Data Corporation (IDC).

Says Karine Paoli, associate vice president, IDC EMEA Systems Infrastructure Solutions: “This quarter delivered an expected deceleration of the EMEA PC market as the financial crisis unfolded across the region, but while emerging markets are hit the hardest, mature economies held well considering the global environment,”

“The business market is directly impacted by lower investment levels and consumer spending also slowed down since January, but the traction for Mini Notebooks helped to sustain consumer demand in Western Europe and contain overall market contraction, and will continue to do so over the coming quarters as vendors, retailers, and telco players will maintain a major push.”

Europe remained the most affected region, with a decline in PC shipments of 41 percent, while the Middle East and Africa regions recorded only a 6.1 percent decline.